Water ski safety cap



Oct. 8, 1963 J- B. SHEA WATER SKI SAFETY CAP Filed May 29, 1962INVENTOR.

JOHN B-SHEA United States Patent 3,106,184 WATER SKI SAFETY CAP John B.Shea, 28 Spence St., Chicopee Falls, Mass. Filed May 29, 1962, Ser. No.198,671 3 Claims. (Cl. 116-114) This invention relates to wearingapparel and more particularly to a cap for water skiers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a water ski safetycap that will serve to make the skier more visible when the skier is inthe water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a water ski safetycap that can be worn comfortably and will increase the possibility ofthe skier being seen by operators of boats in the area so as to preventpossible injury.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a Water skisafety cap that will not prevent freedom of action and doesnt interferewith the skier and will increase water safety and simultaneously be anovelty.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a Water ski safety capbearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has aminimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient inoperation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a water ski safety cap comprising thepresent invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing a modified form of the presentinvention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a water ski safety cap madein accordance with the present invention is shown to include a flexiblerubber cap 12 having a flexible and adjustable chin strip 14. Cap 12 isarcuately contoured to fit the head of an individual. An arcuatelycontoured plastic base 15 is fixedly secured inside the top surface ofcap 12 and an opening of circular configuration 16 receives a hollowtubular tube 18 having a triangular brightly colored flag 20 secured atits upper end. Tube 18 is fixedly secured in base 15 and fixedly securedin circular opening 21 of cap 12 providing a rigid support for flag 20.

In operation, the wearer stretches the cap 12 over his head and placesthe chin strap 14 under his chin and ad.- justs it to conform to hischin comfortably. When the wearer is skiing the water ski safety capprovides visibility of the skier to boats in the area if he falls fromthe Water skis or stops skiing.

In FIGURE 2 a water ski safety cap 22 of modified form is shown toinclude an arcuately contoured plastic 3,1%,1i84 Patented Oct. 8, 1963base 24 having a U-shaped configurated chin strap 26 fixedly securedunderneath. The chin strap pad 28 is enlarged and has an opening 30 ofoval shaped configuration to conform to the contour of the chin of thewater skier. A circular opening 32 in base 24 frictionally receives ahollow elongated tube 34 having a colored flag 36 providing visibilityfor the skier to other water craft. Tube 34 is fixedly secured inopening 32 of base 24.

In operation, the base 24 is fitted to the top of the head of theindividual wearing it and the chin strap pad 28 of chin strap 26 isplaced beneath the chin and the chin of the water skier partiallyprojects into the opening 38 thus firmly securing water ski safety cap22 to the head of the wearer.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. A water ski safety cap comprising in combination a flexible rubberhelmet, a chin strap integral of said helmet, adjustable means for saidchin strap, a substantially arcuately contoured plastic base received bysaid cap contouring to the head of the wearer, a substantially elongatedand hollow tube received by said cap and said base, and a flag securedto said tube of said base and said cap, the underside of said basesecured within the upper, inner surface of said cap in contoured fit tothe head of the wearer, and said tube secured within said base by meansof an opening in said base and in said rubber cap, said opening and saidtube being in frictional engagement, said chin strap depending in arelatively downward direction and said tube being angularly rearward andat an angle relative to the depending direction of said chin strap.

2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said flag secured to saidtube is rigid and substantially triangular and the upper surface of saidflag is flush with the upper end of said tube received by said base andsaid helmet.

3. A combination according to claim 2, wherein said chin strap isfixedly secured within the under side of said base and said under sideof said base is arcuately contoured to fit the head of the wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,281,975 Kee Oct. 15, 1918 2,320,222 Crupi May 25, 1943 2,340,872 Flynnet al. Feb. 8, 1944 2,527,357 Donahey Oct. 24, 1950 2,679,711 Leonard -sJune 1, 1954

1. A WATER SKI SAFTY CAP COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A FLEXIBLE RUBBERHELMET, A CHIN STRAP INTEGRAL OF SAID HELMET, ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR SAIDCHIN STRAP, A SUBSTANTIALLY ARCUATELY CONTOURED PLASTIC BASE RECEIVED BYSAID CAP CONTOURING TO THE HEAD OF THE WEARER, A SUBSTANTIALLY ELONGATEDAND HOLLOW TUBE RECEIVED BY SAID CAP AND SAID BASE, AND A FLAG SECUREDTO SAID TUBE OF SAID BASE AND SAID CAP, THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID BASESECURED WITHIN THE UPPER, INNER SURFACE OF SAID CAP IN CONTOURED FIT TOTHE HEAD OF THE WEARER, AND SAID TUBE SECURED WITHIN SAID BASE BY MEANSOF AN OPENING IN SAID BASE AND IN SAID RUBBER CAP, SAID OPENING AND SAIDTUBE BEING IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT, SAID CHIN STRAP DEPENDING IN ARELATIVELY DOWNWARD DIRECTION AND SAID TUBE BEING ANGULARLY REARWARD ANDAT AN ANGLE RELATIVE TO THE DEPENDING DIRECTION OF SAID CHIN STRAP.